You got an all-star team out West. You got a one-man show with bit players occasionally assed to step up in the East (deja-vu all over again). Everyone else is playing catch-up.

The number of disproportonate calls for star players doesn't excuse shit play. The wins and losses for most of the individual playoff games this year have been one-sided trouncings to the loser. A few bad whistles doesn't do that as much as one team taking a nap when they can't afford to.

I've never seen shooting performances as bad as what the Celtics and Rockets did, nevermind them both doing that in Game 7 at home.

It's almost as if they were throwing the game away because Warriors/Cavs IV was always going to happen.

NBA's commish recently teased the league might consider the idea of having a hard salary cap in the future in order to have better league parity and also implied at not wanting another Cavs-Warriors IV NBA Finals series scenario to happen again.

Right now its a soft cap but with a stricter luxury tax than in MLB since its around $1 in tax for every $1 over the cap limit.

NBA's commish recently teased the league might consider the idea of having a hard salary cap in the future in order to have better league parity and also implied at not wanting another Cavs-Warriors IV NBA Finals series scenario to happen again.

Right now its a soft cap but with a stricter luxury tax than in MLB since its around $1 in tax for every $1 over the cap limit.

Somehow, I feel like this is more because of the teams (or rather, the markets) involved rather than the happenstance itself. These aren't exactly two bandwagon teams. Golden State is one of four Cali teams - and they're not even the "premier" one - and had to claw themselves back to relevance even AFTER the Clippers did. And Cleveland has been a perpetual joke in pro sports for the better part of the last half century, so there is actually a generational gap where having something in contention is a relatively new experience.

If this were, say, the fourth year in a row of Lakers vs Knicks, or if Chicago did four in a row in their prime against the same Western team (I dunno, say San Antonio), I think the fans would still be a bit fatigued, but the NBA would be creaming themselves at the mere thought of all the ad revenue and ticket sales.

In a move that is very likely going to backfire badly, NBA's ref union is going to start live tweeting their reaction to calls during games with tonight's Warriors-Cavs Game 3 as the start of this plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESPN

NBA referees will take to Twitter during Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday night to engage fans in real time and plan to address specific plays and interpret rules.

The discussion is being facilitated by the National Basketball Referees Association and will be done from its Twitter account, @OfficialNBARefs. The referees will take questions using the hashtag #RefWatchParty. There will be a team of referees answering the questions, but they will not be identified individually.

Even though they've been warned several times and punished before, NBA pretty much giving their blessing for the Lakers to do whatever they want this offseason to become great again. Probably don't want to do anything that could hurt Lebron's chances of going there nor hurt him from forming another super team in LA.

Adam Silver says he is not paying closer attention to the Lakers free agency dealings given their tampering problems this season. Says they violated the rules, paid the price and “we’ve moved on.”

Bit surprised he actually went to the West since staying in the East was the reason why his Finals streak has lasted as long as it did.

Also adds more fuel to the view of him just being a ring chaser since he bolted from the Cavs the first time when they were no longer in position to be a Finals power, did the same with the Heat after a few years, and now the Cavs again.

Bit surprised he actually went to the West since staying in the East was the reason why his Finals streak has lasted as long as it did.

Also adds more fuel to the view of him just being a ring chaser since he bolted from the Cavs the first time when they were no longer in position to be a Finals power, did the same with the Heat after a few years, and now the Cavs again.

This is different, at least right now. Him signing with the Lakers as their roster is now has zero shot of even getting to another finals. Houston, Philly, or Boston were the only teams he could have joined via trade or signing that would have had a better shot at beating the Warriors then the Cavs.
When Chris Paul stayed in Houston and Paul George in OKC, and since LeBron opted out his only choice would have been Philly if he was chasing rings.

Going to L.A. with their current roster seems more like his retirement tour while he focuses on other things than basketball.

Probably the right teams, although I wouldn't count out the Sixers over the Celtics now that they are a bit more seasoned.

But 4-0 straight sweep all day. Unless the Warriors go to sleep for a game just to make it interesting.

Doesn't matter either way. The Warriors have ruined the NBA. No one can play with them. If they put in the effort they could go undefeated. Seriously. People give Lebron shit for trying to form super teams yet everyone jumps on the Warriors bandwagon as they form a Beyond Plus Ultra team. Unless you try to form a super team elsewhere you have zero shot. And even if you do, you still only have like 1/10 shot AT BEST.

Probably the right teams, although I wouldn't count out the Sixers over the Celtics now that they are a bit more seasoned.

But 4-0 straight sweep all day. Unless the Warriors go to sleep for a game just to make it interesting.

Doesn't matter either way. The Warriors have ruined the NBA. No one can play with them. If they put in the effort they could go undefeated. Seriously. People give Lebron shit for trying to form super teams yet everyone jumps on the Warriors bandwagon as they form a Beyond Plus Ultra team. Unless you try to form a super team elsewhere you have zero shot. And even if you do, you still only have like 1/10 shot AT BEST.

LeBron went to L.A. for the lifestyle. A super team they are not. Minus LeBron, Cavs are a lot better than the Lakers.

He gave up trying to beat the Warriors after the last 2 finals. Without a shot at winning, he choose to live in L.A. for family and business purposes. His championship days are over.

Nobody is beating the Warriors as long as they keep that team together. Houston had a shot, but they lost a starter in Ariza to the Suns, and while they lost a starter, Golden State added a 2 time First Team All Pro.

Assuming Cousins comes back healthy, while not QUITE as nuts as adding an M.V.P. to a 73 win team, adding a 2 time all pro to a 2 time defending championship team with 4 other all star starters, 2 of which are M.V.P.s, and a bench with another 2 former all stars AND a finals M.V.P. is pretty darn close to the most absurd thing in NBA history.

Hence why LeBron would rather stop beating his head against the wall trying to beat them, and instead wants to build his media empire in L.A.

It is more likely that the Browns WIN the Super Bowl than it is the Warriors not winning the title again.

Probably the right teams, although I wouldn't count out the Sixers over the Celtics now that they are a bit more seasoned.

But 4-0 straight sweep all day. Unless the Warriors go to sleep for a game just to make it interesting.

Doesn't matter either way. The Warriors have ruined the NBA. No one can play with them. If they put in the effort they could go undefeated. Seriously. People give Lebron shit for trying to form super teams yet everyone jumps on the Warriors bandwagon as they form a Beyond Plus Ultra team. Unless you try to form a super team elsewhere you have zero shot. And even if you do, you still only have like 1/10 shot AT BEST.

"... and then you add Kurt Angle to the mix? You the chances of winning DRASTIC go down!"

As a long-suffering Cavs fan, I am fine with the slide back to mediocrity. Once again, this is an organization that has brought it upon themselves. Both times, LeBron bolted because they refused to actually go get other better players so that he doesn't have to carry the team by himself year after year after year. Hell, this season, the Cavaliers were barely expected to make the playoffs, let alone last all the way to another matchup with Golden State in the finals.

This, as opposed to Durant abandoning OKC to join the team he almost beat and an organization that was poised and willing to make some offseason moves that following year to become the "Warrior killers" that they were expected to become.

I'm fine with James going to LA. They actually acted like they want him. Cleveland can sit back, relax, and enjoy the time away from the spotlight and expectations of being "good", and living on that Goodyear sponsorship money that will soon have every team switching to those ugly t-shirt jerseys that have more rooms for corporate logos on them.